All posts by Toyota Cars

There are quite a few utility-driven vehicles getting released in the next few years and Toyota isn’t about to be left out of the running. The Japanese automaker announced that it would bring a new off-road concept to the New York International Auto Show. The concept, called the FT-4X, will offer the off-road capability that weekend adventurers love while maintaining urban versatility.

The Toyota FT-4X concept is widely considered to be the replacement for the FJ Cruiser, which left the market in 2014. Now, crossovers and SUVs are all the rage amid low gas prices. With close competitors releasing their own off-road utility vehicles, Toyota is clearly looking to grab its fair share of the market.

The FT-4X name stands for “Future Toyota – Four-Wheel Drive” and a teaser photo reveals just what that means. The concept vehicle rides on 18-inch wheels wrapped in 225/55R18 tires. Obviously a four-wheel drive model, the teaser photo shows that the display model will likely be bright orange.

While speculators believe this could be the successor to the FJ Cruiser, others are holding out in the hopes of a crossover or small truck. The Toyota FT-4X concept will make its public debut on April 12th at the New York International Auto Show.

We here at Bill Walsh Toyota can’t wait to see what comes from the inspiring FT-4X Concept!

The Toyota Research Institute is making headlines as it makes advances in autonomous vehicle technologies. The 2.0 advanced safety research vehicle was recently displayed in Sonoma California and have been dubbed the Chauffeur and Guardian technologies.

According to Toyota, the new Toyota self-driving cars operate by using a range of machines and systems. These include the LIDAR feature, a combination of radar and cameras that work to optimize the computer’s perception of environment. The autonomous Prius models also rely on high-definition maps to a degree, that, when combined with LIDAR, paint a clear picture for the computer.

“Basically, it is a smart vehicle designed to get smarter over time,” said Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute. “It will learn individual driver habits and abilities and will benefit from shared intelligence from other cars as data gathering, sharing and connectivity technologies advance. We believe Guardian can probably be deployed sooner and more widely than Chauffeur, providing high-level driver-assist features capable of helping mitigate collisions and save lives, sooner rather than later.”

The Chauffeur system is a fully autonomous technology that can operate constantly, while Guardian is a high-level driver assist system. This means the car is able to always monitor what’s happening, helping to prevent crashes moments before humans are even aware of danger. You don’t have to give up your freedom behind the wheel with these self-driving systems—they just work when you need them. At Bill Walsh Toyota, we can’t wait to see what else the brand has in store for the future.

Toyota released details on the “sexy” new 2018 Camry and, at the time of writing, first glimpses of the 2018 Tundra TRD Sport at CAS have been announced on Twitter. Toyota’s enormous CAS display will include more than 50 vehicles, in addition to the new Camry and Tundra.

The Camry, America’s best-selling car for fifteen years running, was first shown at the Detroit Auto Show in January and is thrilling consumers thanks to its new sporty looks and energy. The Tundra TRD Sport’s premium design and rugged performance will satisfy any truck driver and the 2017 RAV4 and Highlander will give viewers an interactive preview of Toyota’s innovative safety technology.

Toyota’s 2017 CAS theme, “The Story of Go,” will present this safety technology through seven demonstrations, including GO CONNECT, which shows how vehicles connect to modern technology, and GO SEE THE UNSEEN, which demonstrates Automatic High Beams, Perimeter Scan, and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

The three Toyota concept models, the FCV+, i-ROAD, and FV2, cover a range of ecofriendly and mobility needs. The hydrogen-powered FCV+ can be used to generate electricity inside the home. The i-ROAD, which has been around for a few years, is a three-wheel personal EV with Active Lean technology. The FV2 uses an intelligent transport system to connect drivers to other vehicles in the area and is operated by the driver shifting their body to change direction.

Toyota’s massive CAS show will give the auto world a lot to talk about in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for news on more new Toyota vehicles.

The North American International Auto Show ( NAIAS 2017 ) is still going on for a few more days, and by the end Toyota will have shown 45 vehicles. The big story is the new generation of the Camry, Toyota’s flagship sedan, as well as the C-HR crossover coupe that has been making its way around US auto shows in the last year before finally stopping in Detroit.

The 2018 Camry

The eighth-generation Camry, which will go on sale with 2018 models, was built on the TNGA, or “Toyota New Global Architecture,” which was also used in the new Toyota Innova Crysta and the Fortuner, and utilizes sharp, bold styling and defined lines for sporty, aggressive looks.

The Camry’s new sloping roof and sleek profile give a more luxurious impression than previous generations, which is matched by its superior driving dynamics, a redesigned cabin with seamlessly integrated touchscreen, and a unique center console.

The Camry Hybrid will also get a redesign, with some minor differences from the gasoline Camry, including a backlit blue Toyota symbol and a different grille. It will also include the next-generation Toyota Hybrid System.

The 2018 C-HR

The C-HR is set to go on sale in 2018 as well. Originally meant to be part of the Scion lineup, the C-HR takes obvious design cues from the funky, youth-oriented Scion styles. Its deep curves and sharp lines perfectly combine the TNGA design philosophy with the crossover coupe style, giving Toyota a great contender for the subcompact SUV market.

The automobile market has stretched far beyond just building and engineering reliable, long-lasting cars, with more automakers than ever dipping their toes into the world of technology and investing in futuristic features like autonomous vehicle systems. Toyota is one of these companies, having recently announced a partnership between the Toyota Research Institute and Allianz Ventures. The collaboration will give rise to Nauto, a data-collection startup that will use human driver data to improve autonomous driving.

Eventually Nauto would like to program its technology into all vehicles in order to collect even more data for future autonomous vehicle systems, but for the moment, Toyota, BMW, and another manufacturer are the only ones involved in the startup. BMW and Toyota have worked together in the past and are currently also said to be developing a vehicle together, so they’re no strangers to collaborating.

The Highlander is the only mid-size SUV on the market to be offered with a hybrid option, mostly because the difference in fuel economy doesn’t look as good as it does in smaller cars, where the difference tends to be much greater. The Highlander Hybrid’s 28 mpg on the highway may not look like much, but compared to the regular Highlander’s 20 mpg, the hybrid is a surprising improvement.

And since SUVs and minivans are the preferred road trip car of families everywhere thanks to their superior seating and cargo volume, it makes sense to offer a car that also saves you money and time on your road trip because you don’t have to stop for gas as often. The Forbes.com writer who reviewed the Highlander Hybrid said that on his road trip they averaged 30.8 mpg on the highway, which is almost three mpg higher than the EPA estimate.

The Highlander Hybrid also comes with such comforts as a rear-seat Blu-ray player, and V6-equipped Highlanders come with a standard towing package with engine-cooling systems. The Highlander and Highlander Hybrid have everything you need for the perfect road trip!

Finally, Toyota Supra spy pictures have surfaced! The Supra, which Toyota is producing in conjunction with BMW, looks just like the Supra that went out of production in the early 2000s, and fans are thrilled. The iconic Supra sports car seems to have taken some inspiration from the FT-1 concept Toyota introduced at the Detroit Auto Show.

First announced in 2012, the Toyota-BMW partnership to produce a sports car hasn’t technically been named, but enthusiasts have long speculated that the car will be a remake of the Supra. Hints from the engineers working on the project have furthered rumors, and with these new photos, it’s all but confirmed.

BMW and Toyota will eventually produce a Z5 released under the BMW name as well as what is speculated to be a new Toyota Supra. This isn’t the first time two automakers have come together to produce low-volume, high-price models they would struggle to fund individually—Mazda and Fiat partnered to produce the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Fiat 124 Spider.

In other Supra-related news, MotorTrend released a recent article that suggested the Supra may eventually include a hybrid model. The Toyota Europe CEO said he does not “have any doubt whatsoever that in the long-term future there will be a real Toyota sports model using electrification,” but nothing has been confirmed.

Here in the United States, when you imagine a taxi, you probably think about a yellow four-door sedan. In Japan, the image is pretty similar; however, the taxis there will be getting a significant update with what Toyota is calling the “taxi of the future.”

The new taxis seem to be a hybrid between a sedan and a minivan. They will come with a high roof, low floor, and sliding doors. With these features, there will be enough room for a wheelchair, making the new design ideal for elderly passengers and families with small children.

Toyota hopes to put its new taxi on the road in Japan sometime next year with the help of the Japan Federation of Hire-Taxi Associations. Toyota cars have been used as taxis since 1936 when the first model AA sedans rolled off the factory floor.

With this new taxi, Toyota hopes to improve the overall taxi experience and industry. It said it hopes to work with taxi drivers to “collaborate on experimental business approaches that make use of automated-driving technology.”

Toyota says that with some automated technology in a taxi, it would open up more opportunities for people who currently cannot be taxi drivers, such as those with disabilities or younger inexperienced drivers

During the 2016 Rio Olympics you may have noticed a commercial from Toyota that showed a medal ceremony and everyone joining hands. While you might think, “This looks like the Olympics,” only official Olympic sponsors can use the Olympic insignia and name. Toyota will get this honor next year, so in the meantime, we get a glimpse into Toyota’s “friendship tournament.”

This ad, called “Stand Together” not only celebrates the Olympic spirit, but is also a way to raise money for those in need. Toyota is encouraging people to share their own videos of people holding hands with the hashtag #LetsJoinHands. For every video, Toyota will then donate $20 to United Way, up to $250,000. The user-generated content may also be mixed together to create a new videos.

Jack Hollis, group VP-marketing for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., said, “We believe, as our founder did, in the ‘power of togetherness’ and athletics is an amazing example of the power of teamwork. While we do not compete at the highest levels of sport on the playing field, we celebrate the spirit of collaboration every day, whether it is within the walls of Toyota, or in our interaction with our guests.”

Toyota’s official Olympic sponsorship will begin in January and will run through the end of 2024. This will include the 2018 Winter Oympics in Pyeonchange, South Korea; the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing; and the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Toyota i-Road EV is unlike any other vehicle currently in the industry. With space for one driver, you won’t find a lot of room for cargo. However, its small size and unique 3-wheel configuration allows it to maneuver through the tightest of obstacles.

Additionally, since it is an EV vehicle, the i-Road EV can travel about 31 miles on a single charge, allowing you to take the small vehicle to relatively distant destinations.

When Leno got behind the wheel of the Toyota i-Road EV, he had some articulate descriptions of the vehicle. “Well it’s a very odd sensation,” he said. “It feels like I’m driving a car, but it’s almost like I’m on skis.”

Combining his automotive experience with the i-Road capabilities, Leno was able to easily conquer an obstacle course set up for him.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the best vehicles that the automotive world has to offer. Be like Leno and test drive a Toyota today!